Thursday, February 19, 2009

Leaf: The leaf for this tea is very sweet smelling. There are quite a bit of additions to this mix, including blossoms, leaves, and dried pieces of fruit. Nothing really resembling pumpkin though. There is some very interesting green leaf in this mix of red rooibos and brownish hued fruits. It adds a nice color contrast.

1st Infusion Parameters: 1 tsp (2.3g), 5 oz, 6 min, 208F

1st Infusion: Like most rooibos this tea has a rich red color. A red that is somewhat unique to rooibos. The aroma is sweet and fruity, it reminds me of the aroma of a strawberry rhubarb pie. The flavor is very smooth and very sweet. The flavor is light, but is well bodied. It is fruity and sweet, and really does not taste like pumpkin at all.

Rating: 7/10

Conclusion: This tea is somewhat well known. I have heard about it from a few people saying how wonderful it is and it is almost like a guilty pleasure. It is a non-tea, flavored, and mixed. It defies traditional tea. That said, it is enjoyable. It is sweet with no astringency, caffeine, or bitterness. However it's name is deceiving. Nothing in this tea's flavor, appearance, or apparently composition is pumpkin. I really don't know why you would call it pumpkin when it doesn't contain or taste like it. More appropriately named this may have gotten a higher rating, but a lot of a tea is in the name. Thank you to Jessica over at Authoritea for the sample of this.